Automobile heater



T. BOVEY AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed Feb- 14. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16, 1925. 1,542,363

I k flwzmrom 7710/ 4/45 50 VEY June 16, 1925. v I 1,542,363

TLBOVEY AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed Feb. 14. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 16, 1925.

newness-m use'fu'l- Improvements in 2111 Automobile" Heater;- of which the followingis full? clear; and exac-t desri tionsuch aswvill" en contaet'withthe Wooden fioor-hoardsof the vehicle.

Numerous heaters are already in" use Whichhave no provisionfor iilsulatingthe" structures from'thewoodenfloorgand fires frequently have res ul-tedzfromtheir use;

My present invention'ls designedsothat a partitio'n orauxiliary Wall may be readily provided in the heater and which may: be easily removed- Whenever desired. The structure is also'des'ignea. sothab it may be so1d= as an accessory anbl may beinstalled by a, person alreadyf owning of using: a heater The principal" object of" my presentiinvention' is to prox ide astructure. heLvingl'the' 79 before-mentionedohirract-ei'istics and ad vantages; Other obj ects reside in" providing device that" is novel, dependable'- and sturdy in construction, isisiinple in arrange,

ment, easy to ixistQlL-mzideo-f few" par'ts'andwill 1 not readily get out of order.

I prefer to accomplish the" objee ts" and carry out my invention in substantially the man-nef hereinafter fully desc iibed' ant-l as more particularly pointed out in theclaims; 1-e1erehebeiiignow made to the aeeomjmny ing 'drawings thafl form a paffof thisspeclfi'c'ationi Figure-1' is lon'gitil'dinfl section of a heater showing my invention instilled therinz v Figure 2 is a "perspective of the partition" (ifauXil-iafy Wall removed fron'fthehou-sing creasing; V

Figure '3, is side elevation" of one of the de'fioes'f for sup orting and lnhiifitailiing" the particionin place." 7

Figure" 5jis" transverse section of the" heater arts showing thern'sepafated" and about tobe'ass'embledr Figure" 6' is fragmentary detail; partly iii transverse 'sectionend enlar ed; showing the j nizfir'nieli of mounting-thepartition: V

Figure 7 is" a per'specti've'o-f one" of" the ositioning or sup o'rting devices:

Figure 8-"isa erspective-of a modified form of positioning an'dsupporti'ng devices:

I-nthe drawings; I have-employed siifiila'f reference characters be designate" the same p aits wher'v'ei they" ap'fie'ai tl"1roi1ghd1itthe" se'verh'l views: Referring" to Figures '1 and 5 it will be seen-the heater structurecom prises a concavoconvex, pan-shaped housing or casing 10 preferably formed of sheetmetal with lateral marginal flanges 11 extending horizontally from the upper edges of the walls thereof, which flanges are adapted to rest upon the surface of the floor 12 of the vehicle when the body of the housing or casing is positioned in an opening made in the floor in the manner illus trated in Figure 6 of the drawings. The heating element 13, in the present instance a tubular radiator coil, is suitably mounted within the ho'using or casing 10, and a perforated top-plate in the form of grating or grille 14 covers the upper open portion of the housing or casing above the heating element 13 so that the occupants feet are protected from the heating element and articles are prevented from falling into the housing or casing", while at the same time facilities are provided whereby the air is taken into the heater and after circulating around or about the radiator is discharged in a heated condition into the vehicle. The housing or casing 10 and the grating or grille let are maintained in assembly and the whole structure is secured to the vehicle floor by means of threaded bolts 15 that pass through the marginal rims of the grille, the flanges 11 of the housing, and through the vehicle floor and are clamped to the latter by nuts 16 screwed upon the lower extended ends of the bolts.

The partition or auxiliary wall, heretofore referred to preferably comprises a rectangular-shaped element consisting of transverse end walls 17 and longitudinal side walls 18 all of which are made from sheetmetal or other desirable material, and said walls may be separate parts suitably joined together at the corners of the partition, or they may all be formed from a single strip of material bent to the desired shape between its ends and the ends secured together in any manner. The proportions and shape of the structure is substantially the same as the walls of the housing or casing but the partition is of less length, width and height than the housing or casing so that it may be fitted between the walls thereof and said heating element. I prefer not to fasten or secure this partition to any of the adjacent parts of the heater as special brackets or other securing devices would be required to do so which would materially add to the cost, but it is essential that said partition be spaced from the bottom of the housing or casing so as to permit the air which enters the heater through the perforations along the edges or marginal portions of the grille to pass downwardly and under the lower edges of the partition and pass up wardly and out. of the heater upon the opposite sides of the partition. The means for mounting this partition element is in the form of attachable, )referably springy or yielding supports, which consists of a length of wire that is bent mediate itsends into two coils 19, 19, that are connected by the. curved portion 20, which provides a concave seat for the edge of the partition and the remaining portions of the wire extend obliquely to each other and tangent to their respective coil 19 to provide oppositely diverging legs 21, 21 the whole support being of an inverted V-shape or U-shape. I prefer to employ a plurality of these supports, and in the drawings I have illustrated the use of two of them upon each longitudinal wall of the partition, but it will be appreciated that both the number and the disposition of the supports is optional according to the service required. The coils 19 are, if desired spaced a slight distance apart or they may be in contact with each other as desired, and when in use the lower edges of the partition wall are inserted between the coils of each support so that the lower edges of the partition will preferably rest in the seat formed by the connecting segment 20 before mentioned. The fit between the respective parts is such sutlicient friction is created to prevent accidental dislodgment of the supports during assembly of the heater or when in use. The partition thus provided with the spring supports is positioned in the housing or casing prior to the placing of the grating or grille on the latter. When the partition has been placed in the housing or casing with the supports resting on the bottom of the latter the upper edge of the partition will project slightly above the horizontal plane of the top edges of the walls of the casing so that the grille is placed in contact with the upper edge of the walls of the partition and by a slight pressure forced downwardly against the spring action of the support until the margins of the grille are in desired relation to and in contact with the flanges 11 of the housing or casing, whereupon the whole structure may be secured together and fastened to the floor of the vehicle by the bolts and nuts as heretofore described. Thus the partition is yieldingly maintained in position, in contact with the underside of the grille and is spaced from the bottom of the casing by means of the spring support, and in order to permit of a smooth contact between the ends of the legs 21 and the bottom member of the casing the lower end portions of the legs are bent in short reverse curves 22 so that the convex portions of the curves will rest upon the bottom of the casing as shown.

It is obvious that other forms of the support for the partition may be provided, such for example as that illustrated in Figure 8 of the drawings, which comprises a strip of thin metal bent an inverted V-shape or U- shape to provide converging legs 23, 23, and

and while this partition when assembled in the heater not actually secured to the heater parts nevertheless the manner of mounting the same is such that it is, to all intents and purposes rigidly related to the casing and grille, and it will perform all the functions of a partition that is secured to and depending from the grille, or which may be otherwise mounted in the casing so that the air will pass under the same to the heating element.

What I claim is l. A removable partition for heaters comprising a suitably shaped strip, and supports extending from an edge thereof whereby to space said strip from the bottom of the heater.

2. A ren'iovable partition for heaters comprising a suitably shaped strip, and yieldable supports extending from an edge thereof whereby to space said strip from the bottom of the heater.

3. A removable partition for heaters comprising a suitably shaped strip, and supports extending from an edge thereof and removably secured thereto whereby to space said strip from the bottom of the heater. 7 p

4. A removable partition for heaters comprising a suitably shaped strip, and yieldable supports extending from an edge thereof and removably secured thereto whereby to space said strip from the bottom of the heater.

5. A removable partition for heaters comprising a suitably shaped strip, and means for supporting the same in spaced relation with the bottom of the heater consisting of a length of yieldable metal bent substan tially inverted V-shape and formed at its apex to receive the lower edge of said strip.

6. The combination with a heater including a casing, a perforated top-plate, and a heating element within said casing, of a partition consisting of a hollow rectangular frame interposed between the heating ele ment and the walls of the casing, and su ports extending from the lower edges of said frame whereby to space the same from the bottom of the casing.

7. The combination with a heater including a casing, a perforated top-plate, and a heating element within the casing, of a partition consisting of a hollow rectangular frame interposed between the heating 61(5- ment and the walls of the casing, and yieldable supports extending from the lower edges of said frame whereby to space the same from the bottom of said casing and yieldingly maintain the upper edge of said frame incontact with said top-plate.

8. The combination with a heater including a casing, a perforated top-plate, and a heating element, within the casing, of a partition consisting of a hollow rectangular frame interposed between the heating element and the walls of the casing, and yieldable supports each consisting of a length of yieldable metal bent substantially inverted V-shape and formed at its apex to receive the lower edge of frame, whereby to space the latter from the bottom of said casing.

9. The combination with a heater including a casing, heating element within the casing, of a partition consisting of a hollow rectangular frame interposed between the heating element and the walls of the casing, and yieldable supports each consisting of a length of spring wire formed substantially inverted V-shape and provided at its apex with a double coil between the convolutions of which the lower edge of said frame is positioned whereby said frame is supported in spaced relation with the bottom of the casing and is ieldin l maintained in en a ement with b t: b

said top-plate.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook,

a perforated top-plate, and a and State of Illinois this 26th day of January, 1925;

. THOMAS BOVEY. 

